Current anodic electroplating operations utilize a metal anode bar supported above or suspended in a tank of the plating solution. An anode basket formed of an electrically conductive metal is suspended from and otherwise connected to the bar and is submerged in the plating solution. Anode metal is placed in the anode basket and is dissolved and ionized by the charged solution to give off positive metal ions. The ions are plated as solid metal onto the material to be plated at the cathode.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,610,773 to Takayuso teaches forming the anode bar and anode basket with a protective outer covering of a corrosion resistant metal, such as titanium. Forming the anode bar and basket in that fashion reduced but doesn't eliminate the problems of sparking, pitting, hot spots, burning, contact cleaning, and a host of other problems associated with electrical conductivity in an electroplating operation.
Other methods have been previously used to combat the corrosion problem, but none of the prior methods exhibit an efficient and economical system which can be reused with minimal cleaning. Another serious problem with previously used metal anode baskets was the non-elasticity of the basket. As anode metal in the basket dissolves, the anode metal pieces become smaller until they are no longer provide good electrical contact with the conductive basket.